In An Alternate Universe
by horoscopesarelies
Summary: A series of au stories featuring our lanky warlock and stunning witch, with occasional appearances from the Knights, Once and Future King and Queen and High Priestesses! Latest Chapter: Morgana threatens to haunt Merlin forever if he dies on her in the middle of the battle.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is for Just Crucio It, the prompt was CrimeAU, I sorta turned it into SpyAU, but I guess it's still a crime considering they're violating privacy and illegally spying on people! Thanks, I had fun writing this and hope you like it :)**

Morgana heard the slight crack of the window behind her being opened, but showed no signs of noticing. She calmy buttoned up her green blouse.

"Sleeping with the enemy huh?" Merlin's tone held a hint of disapproval.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned around to see the organization's most valuable spy leaning against the glossy ebony desk. Dressed in his usual head to toe black ensemble.

"Is that jealousy I detect in your voice, or are you genuinely displeased by my salacious methods of acquiring information?"

He folded his arms against his chest and scoffed. "Oh please. I'm neither jealous nor displeased. Let's just say I'm not too fond of stripping for work. I'd rather use my brains than my body."

Morgana smiled coyly and replied, "Well, at least the sex was great."

"The company didn't hire you to have great sex."

"No, they hired me to get the job done. Which I did."

A few steps and she was standing right in front of him, brandishing a mini yellow purse.

"All the information we need regarding Mr. Gwaine is right here. The rugged bastard apparently has a fortune hidden away. Did you know he's the son of one of the richest men in the country, but parades around like a lowlife. That's why he brought me to this cheap motel instead of taking me somewhere fancy. Turns out the lad doesn't want to be associated with his father's name." Her smile grew wider. "Funny how quickly men reveal their secrets if they're drunk or horny enough."

Her fingers were moving up and down his arm, playfully circling around until she caught the edge of his shirt and slowly began pulling it up.

He stopped her movements with his right hand and grabbed her chin with his left. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Why are you really here Merlin?"

"I was sent to extract you, in case you needed assistance of any sort. And as your senior I was told to keep an eye on your missions. This is all fairly new for you after all."

"Keep an eye on the missions, or on me? Not reliable or trustworthy enough am I? Cons of being the latest new recruit I suppose." she said, eyes downcast.

"No Morgana, it's not like that-" Merlin began but gasped as the next moment she pressed her whole body against him. He inhaled sharply, she was so soft, and smelled like honey.

"Now, why don't we utilize the short amount of time we have while Gwaine takes a shower, and you can assist me in so many ways, _senior._"

She didn't wait for him to respond as she swiftly tugged off his shirt and began kissing his neck. Her lips were sucking the point right below his jaw and all sense of time and place flew out of Merlin's head. He closed his eyes and groaned, clutching her hair with both hands as she went further down, bending lower to his chest, his stomach, his-

_Click, Click. _

His eyes shot open as he felt the metallic cuffs lock him in place, his wrist tied to the leg of the desk. He stared at her in horror as she got up and winked.

"Use your brains and have fun getting out of this one, senior."

What the fuck? Where did she even pull that thing out of? "Morgana, wait! Wait!"

"Or maybe this one time you could use your body like me if it turns out Gwaine swings both ways. You never know, might get lucky!" She blew him a final kiss, and escaped out the window he'd used to get in.

Before he could even process what to do next, the bathroom door opened and Gwaine stepped out with a towel wrapped around his wait, twisting a cottonbud in his ear.

He stopped in his tracks at the sight of a lanky shirtless man handcuffed to the motel room's desk, looking like a deer caught in headlights, with no sign of Morgana anywhere.

Merlin cursed internally at Gwaine's bewildered expression. He will kill Morgana the next time he sees her.

How the hell was he supposed to get out of this one?

**leave a prompt if you like!**


	2. Cherry Wine

Well, I don't really know what prompted me to write this, but I was listening to Cherry Wine by Hozier and inspiration hit me and I spent the whole day scribbling away. **And it turned out way longer and slightly darker than I had originally planned, so warnings of dubious consent/non con, mild sexual content (I don't think this is even considered M but I'm rating it just to be on the safe side) and minor character death.**

To all the readers of my other fic, I promise I haven't abandoned the story, and I will hopefully update the next chapter soon! Till then I hope you like this!

Morgana finds out Merlin has magic after the events of episode 3 season 2, the Tears of Uther Pendragon Part Two. (bolded bits present, non bolded bits past)

XXXXXXXXXX

**Morgana heard the door open and close softly, but made no move to greet him. **

**He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She felt his calloused hands on the soles of her feet, and a soft groan fell from her lips as he squeezed.**

"**You know you don't have to do that every night?" she said as he began massaging and pulling her toes.**

"**I know, but I want to. And by your contended sighs so do you."**

**He rubbed a little harder and Morgana had to admit it felt good, but right now she needed his hands somewhere else.**

**She pushed herself up on her elbows. "What I want is for you to come here and make love to me until I forget all my troubles."**

**Merlin smirked. He hiked up her nightgown inch by inch until it rested on her upper thigh. His fingers danced lightly across her smooth skin and Morgana squirmed impatiently. **

**She'd been waiting the whole day. **

**He continued stroking, eyes fixated on her pale exposed legs, and replied, "I'll make love to you till you forget your own name your Highness."**

**And in an instant Morgana was on her back again, thighs locked around Merlin's head, fingers buried in his hair as he worked his magic. She loved that he wasted no time with teasing games or foreplay and got straight down to it. Just what she needed.**

**Her cries became louder as his tongue delved deeper, hitting all the right spots. She rocked back and forth in tandem with him, their combined magic swirling around in the room until the sensations overwhelmed her mind and body, and she reached her climax. **

**Merlin gripped her hips firmly while she came in his mouth, sure to leave faint marks on porcelain skin that bruised so easily. **

**Morgana untangled her fingers from his hair and threw her arms behind her head, chest still heaving from her orgasm while Merlin got up and wiped his mouth.**

"**My turn." She said once she got her breath back.**

**Merlin clicked his tongue. "No, not tonight. Tonight will be all about you." He **

**He covered her body with his, placing both arms on either side of her head, hands curling around her ebony locks. "And we have just begun."**

**Usually Morgana wouldn't give up the opportunity to torment Merlin, to make him beg and scream for her, because as much as she enjoyed his talents, it brought her even more pleasure when he was completely at her mercy.**

**He was a fascinating sight to behold, with his flushed cheeks, slightly parted full lips, beautiful blue eyes clouded with lust, just waiting for her to grant him release. He made her feel powerful, loved, wanted in those precious moments, and Morgana relished it.**

**But today had been exhausting, filled with bad news about uprisings and potential threats to end her reign, and right now it felt wonderful to simply lie back and let Merlin fuck her into oblivion. So she just moaned and closed her eyes as he bit into the soft flesh of her neck, gently sucking on her pulse point.**

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

**Morgana covered her eyes against the glare of the morning sun, yawning and turning to face away from the window. Merlin was laying flat on his stomach, mouth hanging open as he snored. She couldn't help but chuckle softly at how at how adorable he looked. **

**She brushed the unruly hair away from his forehead, her fingers trailing down to trace the contours of his cheekbones. Her movements caused him to murmur something, and then shift oh his side, so that his back faced her. **

**She swallowed at the sight before her, wondering why she let the image get to her every time when she knew it was there, after all she had placed it herself. But whenever she saw it it felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown in her face, telling her to wake up and see things as they truly are, not how she wished it were.**

**The fomorrah wriggled around in his neck, just below his head, squirming desperately as though all it wanted was to get out and be free.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

(Few months earlier)

Morgana strode downstairs fully intent on barging in and confronting that petty servant. How the hell did he escape from the woods? And then he had the nerve to _fight her _(as if he ever stood a chance against her sword). If it wasn't for that untimely roof collapsing then she would've finished him by now.

And then she wakes up in her bedroom, Gwen informing her that it was Merlin who had carried her unconscious form to the chambers after the battle chaos had subsided.

She didn't understand his agenda. Why not just leave her to be buried under the debris? One minute he was her enemy, and the next...he saves her from a crushing death. All she understood was that she had questions which only that infuriating serving boy could answer.

She was about to just go in without knocking when she heard Gaius speaking.

"You came very close to revealing your secret today Merlin! You're lucky she didn't see the flash of your eyes as you made that roof collapse with your magic. Morgana must never find out that you're a warlock, or else all this would be for nothing."

Goosebumps erupted on her flesh as she stood listening to the old physician. Suddenly everything was crystal clear.

She walked away as quietly as possible, the wheels in her head turing at the at how she should utilize this valuable knowledge to her advantage.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

In the end, Morgause's idea had proved to be the perfect solution. Morgana wasn't even aware that such magic existed, but apparently it was child's play for practiced High Priestesses to raise fomorrahs.

Once the snake had been inserted in Merlin's neck, Morgana watched with fascination as he obeyed every command, bowed to every whim, no matter how ridiculous or extreme. He spilt all his secrets and she was torn between being furious at him for all the deceit and begrudingly impressed by how he managed to fool everyone so easily. Such a misleading outward demeanor with so much burning underneathe the surface.

Either way, she decided he needed to pay for his atrocities against her and all the other members of the magical community he had killed just because they were trying to rid the world of Uther and his equally blind and prejudiced son.

Morgana began by ordering Merlin to kill Gaius with the very hemlock he had given her. She watched as he murdered his beloved mentor, the man who had given him the love, trust and care he had never provided for Morgana.

Of course she was the one who had the honor of killing Uther. Once the old King was gone Morgause told her it was time to stop hiding.

The city had no ruler, Arthur was grief stricken, and the Kingdom was slowly descending into mass hysteria after the death of two such important people back to back.

Oh she would always remember the look on Arthur's face as she revealed her true identity. But it was nothing compared to his reaction when he found out about Merlin.

His loyal clumsy servant was actually the most powerful warlock in the Kingdom? And he was helping Morgana overthrow him? Arthur looked like he was trapped in a nightmare and couldn't wait to wake up any minute.

But this was one never ending nightmare for the prince. Morgause's army of the dead had captured Camelot completely. Her sister had wanted to behead both Arthur and Gwen immediately, like they had done with most of the knights, but Morgana couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't even understand why, it's not as though Arthur and Gwen would've tried to help her escape death had her powers been exposed under Uther's reign.

_But they would. _A small voice whispered in her head and she hated that she knew it was true. So she gave them the chance to either pledge allegiance or be banished forever, and it surprised no one when they chose to be outcasts.

Morgause was extremely displeased and told Morgana that letting Camelot's golden heir live would eventually lead to uprisings and rebellion and it was only inviting trouble for the future. But Morgana did nothing as she watched them walk away from her window, filled with emotions that she couldn't put a name to.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Morgana knew she had to weave magic back into the fabric of their society, normalise it, make citizens appreciate the wonders of their powers instead of fearing and loathing it. She needed to bring back everyone Uther had thrown out, have them interact and mix with the common folk, show them that just because they're different doesn't mean they're not humans just like them, instead of the monsters they've been accused of being for so long. And who better than the Druids to demonstrate how peaceful magic users really were?

This is where she found out that Merlin's reach and influence was far greater than she had imagined. He not only managed to bring the Druids out of hiding, he also searched for and brought every gifted outcast from other intolerant Kingdoms and brought them to Camelot, granting them shelter and a home, increasing Morgana's followers and supporters in town.

Apparently the prophecy attached to Merlin and his destiny to bring magic back to the realm was one that many in the magical community had been waiting for eagerly to be fulfilled. Now he simply told everyone how the prophecy was actually about him and Morgana, the true heir to the throne, and a Queen who also possessed magic herself, instead of a foolish prince who couldn't even begin to understand witches and warlocks.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sometimes Morgana would join him during his expeditions, leaving Morgause in charge, just to watch him be the leader she never thought he would be capable of being.

His personality and behavior was so erratic she didn't know what to make of it. He had a sharp tongue when it came to the knights, showed little patience and general apathy. They all cursed him behind his back but none dared show their displeasure to his face.

She suspected that his gentle, kind behavior towards the young, frightened magic users was a show, he didn't really care about them, it was just manipulation to gain their trust and support. And boy was he good at it. She wondered how quickly she would've fallen for him too had he painted her a picture of such a bright and hopeful future when she was that tyrant King's terrified ward who had just discovered her powers. _In a heartbeat, _she imagined, just like everyone else.

He was so cold and calculating regarding all matters, except Morgana. She supposed it was because the fomorrah had declared her his master, and in all honesty his complete devotion to her shouldn't be surprising, but somehow it was. One call and he would drop everything to be by her side, look at her like she was the only one who mattered, smile encouragingly at her when she addressed a crowd, always standing with her. Soon she felt Merlin and Morgause were the only two people in the world she could trust unequivocally.

His transition from a simple minion to a trusted advisor was so natural, she didn't realize how or when it happened. If Morgause was troubled by the frequent occasions when her sister would consult him in ruling matters, or the increasing amounts of time her sister was spending with the enchanted servant, , she didn't express it. After all, it's not as though Morgana was stupid or naïve enough to let them develop into anything more than Queen and advisor, right?

Or so they had both thought. The details were a little blurry now as Morgana recalled the first night. She was sitting awake in her tent, maybe reading a letter Morgause had sent her, when she heard the flaps being opened. She turned around to see Merlin standing there with a plate of food, trying not to look sheepish.

"You didn't join us for dinner." he shrugged.

She smiled and motioned for him to sit next to her. "Thank you. I wonder what I did to deserve such nice treatment."

He made a sweeping gesture with his hand and replied, "Because you're the Queen," as though it were obvious.

"And what if I wasn't a Queen? What if I was an outcast not worth a dime? Would you still care?"

He shook his head and sighed. "You're sorely mistaken if you think I serve you because you're Camelot's Queen. I serve Camelot's Queen because it is you, mi'lady. For all I care, you could leave everything behind to go live in, I don't know, Ealdor maybe! And I'd still follow you there."

His words rang with such sincerity, it was hard to think it was all a result of some spell. "Everything I do, Your Highness, is for you. I'm sure you already know I don't give a rat's arse about everyone outside this tent, the only one who means anything to me is sitting beside me."

As soon as the words left his mouth he averted his gaze, as though scared that his confession might make Morgana uncomfortable. But on the contrary, her heart fluttered with sensations buried for so long she forgot they even existed. She had always been the second choice when it came to almost everyone in her life, Gaius, Gwen, Arthur, _Uther, she thought bitterly. _The only people who had constantly put her first was Gorlois and Morgause. And now Merlin.

She tentatively reached out and tipped his chin up, so she could see all the emotions playing on his face. Desire so plain she wondered how she hadn't seen it before, but hints of nervousness and uncertainty at what her reaction might mean for the future of their relationship.

They were at a good place right now, and he'd hate to have that ruined and there were so many other things to consider...but Morgana registered none of that as she inched closer until she could feel his breath on her cheek.

Merlin was still as a statue as she tilted her head and softly pressed her lips against against his. He closed his eyes and sighed, instantly melting into the kiss. Neither expected it to be so sweet but the night was full of surprises.

She inhaled deeply once they broke apart. Both of them looked everywhere but at each other until Merlin finally cleared his throat.

"Mi'lady I should probably-"

"Stay." she whispered.

Silence met her request as his gaze swept over her lovely form in the low lantern glow. After some time, he smiled bashfully while biting his bottom lip, and nodded slowly.

Her eyes flashed gold and the lights died, leaving them in companionable darkness.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sometimes she wondered what would happen if Merlin managed to break free. The idea was ridiculous considering Morgause had informed her that the only way to shatter the fomorrah's hold on you permanently was by destroying the mother beast fommorah, and there was no way Merlin would be able to find it in the highly unlikely event of him gaining control of his mind even temporarily.

But there were nights Morgana feared that perhaps for a warlock as powerful as Merlin, it was possible to overpower the snake.

The nights when he pushed her down on her large bed and pinned her hands above her head, his kisses toothy and feral, his grip so tight her bones would ache, and in the middle of it all, he would suddenly stop and just stare at her in confusion. His luminous eyes filled with conflict, as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to love or hurt the woman beneath him.

She would lie motionless under him while he battled internally. The thought of the real Merlin returning should fill her with dread.

Instead a perverse thrill coursed through her veins at the idea of an unenchanted Merlin taking her to bed, thrusting deep inside her and making her scream. Merlin who challenged her, and infuriated her, and loved her because of her flaws. Because of how she refused to simply watch in silence while her people died and her birthright was denied. Merlin whose desires was not because of a worm in his head, but the manifestation of all those months of unresolved tension between them.

She swore she caught glimpses of that Merlin in those few seconds, when the world outside ceased existing and it was just the two of them, with their harsh breaths mingling as they studied one another, hoping for the worst and the best.

But the moment would pass and a slow mischievous grin would spread across the former servant's face as he bent down to capture her lips in a loving kiss, hands impatiently taking off her peach nightgown, caressing her body as he peeled off each layer.

And she couldn't help but feel the slightest tug of melancholy in her heart. She didn't even understand why, because what could she possible hope to achieve if he did return to his normal self? After all, there was no doubt he'd kill her and her sister without a moment's consideration given that she'd made him murder his beloved mentor, the fact that she had let Arthur and Gwen live wouldn't even matter.

These thoughts couldn't plague her mind for long though, because moments later they would flip over and then she'd be all but lost in the tide of his breathing as he moaned and chanted her name like a prayer.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Her fingers pressed into his neck, as if willing the fomorrah to embed itself deeper inside his mind. **

**His love wasn't real, but she cherished it nonetheless, because it was the only kind she would ever receive from him.**


	3. Art Class

**Yesthenlucky9: Thank you and I will definitely considering writing more of that AU! :)**

**Lady Flurrous: It's all different AU's hun but I will definitely considering writing more of that story!Thank you so much for the review! :D**

**sjritts: Thanks dear! Here's more, but a different AU! :)**

**Patiku: Ooh I like the idea, I'll definitely think about it! :)**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Prompt I saw in Tumblr: Your OTP have to draw each other in Art class.**

Merlin Emrys gulped nervously as he rearranged his chair to face Morgana Pendragon, rubbing his ear with his pinky, a nervous tic he despised but could do little to get rid of. In his peripheral vision he saw Will giving him a thumbs up before he turned to face his own far less intimidating partner, a sweet girl named Sefa, for today's class.

It was just his luck that the school principal's step daughter would pick out his name from the bowl. If he had been given the option he would've just drawn Will, but Professor Gauis had insisted that they all put their names in a bowl and pick their respective partners, help break the ice between yourselves.

Yeah that would be much easier he wasn't breaking ice with someone who he's had a crush on ever since he saw her in Junior Prom in that sinful red dress. He had stolen glances at her for most of the night while she bickered with Arthur Pendragon. Both he and Gwen had agreed that the Pendragons were trouble and they should steer clear of them, yet six months later Gwen was dating that insufferable brat, while he was still secretly pining away, never having the guts to actually go talk to her. _Till today_.

She smiled warmly at him and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Morgana."

He gingerly shook it. "Merlin."

"Like the bird?"

"No, like the magician you know? The famous Merlin?"

When he was greeted by her blank look he just said, "Or yeah, like the bird you could say."

Morgana nodded politely. "Great! So how should we do this? You first? I think you should go first."

"My pleasure." he said, then felt stupid for saying that instead of a simple 'sure.'

His partner fidgeted a little in her seat, unsure how to position herself, before finally settling on her right side with her head slightly tilted forward. "My profile always looks better than my full face, hopefully it'll be easier to draw as well."

Merlin began sketching, already in his zone. He shook his head at her comments. "Are you kidding? Your full face view is just as wonderful as your profile. You have such defined aristrocatic features, I would love drawing you either way."

The corners of her lips curled up as she tried not to smile too much while his pencil moved. "Can I talk?"

"Of course. You know you don't have to be still as a statue."

She relaxed her shoulders. "Oh, that's good. I wouldn't want to mess it up for you. It's just I'm not really into art, sure I appreciate a beautiful painting like everyone else, but bringing it to life is not my forte. I'm only taking since I have free electives."

His pencil moved effortlessly as she talked, drawing her sharp jaw and then moving on to her lips. "It's a different case with me. Art is my passion, I always loved it, but ever since I met Professor Gaius, he helped me hone my skills and taught me so much more, now it's all I want to do."

"Well you are exceptionally talented, I saw some of the gorgeous paintings he has hung on his office walls and he told me they were yours. Do you do anything modern or are you always immersed in the nineteenth-century?"

Her ponytail swished from side to side as she spoke and he decided it would be better if she let her hair down. "Could you umm, untie your hair? And just push it one side, and look down maybe? I mean I would love to draw your eyes, they are quite expressive, but I feel this would look better."

Morgana did as she was told, and her hair tumbled like spilled ink down to her waist. She brought it all on her left side, leaving her throat bare on the right. Merlin sighed appreciatively. As an artist there were few things he enjoyed more than studying the curve of an elegant neck, with deep collarbones and a few spots sprinkled along them.

"That's more like it. And to answer your question, yes I do modern art too, but I prefer the Pre Raphaelite era. Or specifically this group of English artists called "The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood", inspires me a lot." He paused to look over the canvas at her, sitting quite still, eyes downcast with her hands folded on her lap. If you traded her jeans and purple t shirt with a long flowing robe or gown, she'd fit right in one of his paintings. "To be honest, you'd be a Pre-Raphaelite's dream."

They fell silent after that since half the class period had gone by and Morgana hadn't even begun drawing him. He focused on his sketch, brushing off the last few remaining touches of charcoal with his thumb. He smiled proudly and turned his canvas around to present his subject with the final result.

"That is...stunning. Your hands really do have magic in them Merlin."

He grinned wider at her reaction. "Well, it wasn't that hard to make it stunning, you did most of the work for me." he replied with a wink.

She laughed. "Oh please, I don't look that good in real life. You made me way more beautiful. And now watch me turn you into a horrible mess!"

But despite what she said her sketch wasn't half bad. Sure there was a lot of room for improvement, but overall she had done a decent job capturing his eyes and ears, apparently she thought those pointly little things were 'very cute'. She kept telling him to move this way and that so that she had the perfect angle, but when it was clear that it wasn't what she wanted, she got up and grabbed his jaw in her hands, and positioned his face, telling him that she needed him to sit exactly like that for the next fifteen minutes. He hoped she didn't notice the embarassingly shaky breath he had taken when she had come close, but she finally seemed content and continued working.

They handed in their work and walked out of class together. "Well, that a lot more fun than I expected," Morgana said.

"Yeah it was, wasn't it? Too bad this isn't a weekly assignment."

"Yeah, too bad." They walked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "But maybe, if you're willing, it could be?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I obviously could use help improving my drawing, and you're excellent, would you like to tutor me on Saturdays? Maybe then I could actually aim for an A in the class instead of struggling B."

He couldn't believe Morgana Pendragon was offering to be his pupil for art. "You serious?"

"Absolutely."

"Sure! I'll see you this weekend," he fumbled in his pocket for his phone, "could you just give me your number?"

After exchanging numbers and a hug which he was not prepared for at all, Morgana left him standing slightly slack jawed.

He felt his best friend slap him on his back. "So it appears I wasn't the only one who ended up scoring phone numbers after class today! Seems like Professor Gaius was planning to hook up half his students. But Morgana Pendragon? Woooo, congrats buddy, lord knows how long you've waited for this day."

Merlin assured Will it wasn't anything like that, no way would Morgana even consider him anything more than a friend/tutor. Will just nodded along while he mentally planned all the future double dates him and Sefa could go on with Merlin and Morgana.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Next class, when Merlin entered late as usual, Morgana flashed him a brilliant smile and patted the empty seat next to her. He smiled back and sat down, trying not to look too giddy, and pointedly pretending not to hear Will whistling loud and clear two seats behind him.

But in his heart he hoped, that for once in his life, his best friend's crazy predictions would come true. And as he looked into the big green eyes of the girl beside him, he realized it might not be such a crazy idea after all.

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Just thought my babies deserved a little High School Modern AU fluff :P**

**Leave a new prompt if you want!**


	4. Witch in Shining Armor

Charles Chuku: Thank you so much! :D

LifeIndeed: Thanks so much for the review! :D

Lady Flurrous: Your words always make my day! :D

sjritts: Aww, well I'm glad you enjoyed both stories with different tones :D

bluechocolate21: I'll work on your prompt next! And yes I'll do a sequel for chapter two, since whoever read it kinda wants one :P

**Tumblr Prompt again! Person A being held hostage in a fortress and Person B violently leaving a mess of carnage in their wake in order to get to them. Covered in blood and questionable pieces of enemy remains, Person B finally makes it to Person A in the center of the wreckage and gives them a gentle peck on the forehead before apologizing for the wait.**

**XXXXXXX**

Merlin yawned, and thumped his head against the cold stone walls of the dungeon. Shivering slightly, he wrapped his arms around his body as thin rats scuttled by his feet, a few even stopped and stared at him, as if asking him how much longer? _Not much at all. _He assured them, before he realized that he was talking to rats in his head.

Cenred had taken extra care to place as many guards as possible at each station, a dozen patrolled the areas surrounding the castle, few more at the main entrance, and three of his best men stood firmly outside the dungeons Merlin was currently occupying. The King of Essiter knew that Prince Arthur had formed a very close friendship somehow with his servant boy, he didn't understand it at all, but that didn't mean he couldn't use it to his advantage. The easiest way he would ever be able to lure Prince Arthur into his land was by kidnapping his manservant, and that had hardly taken any effort other than a solid knock to the head. The boy was a complete klutz.

The kidnapped servant smiled to himself as he pictured Cenred anxiously waiting for Arthur to rescue him. Oh rescued he would be, but by a far more formidable force than the Prince of Camelot.

Just then he heard the loud bang of the gate being blasted open, and the shouts of several men all at once. Merlin's smile grew wider. _Think of the devil and she appears._

The commotion outside grew louder as he strained his ears against the walls. "Who is _that? _She's a bloody mons-" his screams cut off the rest of the sentence. Nobody got to call Morgana Pendragon a monster anymore, not after her beloved spent so long convincing her that she wasn't one.

The rats all lined up beside him as well. "Hear that?" Merlin said enthusiastically. "That's my princess on her way to rescue me." The creatures looked back at him with beady eyes.

Another explosion nearby had everyone turning their heads, and sure enough Merlin heard the swish of her sword. He knew she would relish using it today. Morgana loved her magic and used it to do the most mundane things, but she rarely got to use her sword nowadays, and he knew she missed the feeling of her fingers wrapped around the cool metal hilt.

Slice after slice, the clash of their blades reverberated through the walls. So did the howls of each man who went down. She was ruthless.

At last, silence reigned, and Merlin could hear his own heart beating wildly in his chest. He heard a soft intake of breath, a whispered spell and the lock fell apart.

His princess entered looking like an utter ghoul. Bathed in blood from head to toe, her silver armor glistening red, with bits and pieces of human flesh sticking out here and there. But the gentle concern in her brilliant green eyes belied everything else about her appearance.

"I'm so sorry for the wait, my love." She dropped her sword and bent down to place a tender kiss on his forehead. The rats scurried away.

"My witch in shining armor." he replied as she helped him stand up.

She rolled her eyes and then put her hand on the sore spot on his head. Instant relief spread as Morgana's soothing magic healed his wound. Her healing powers were truly a gift like no other.

"Better?" she asked.

"All better mi'lady." Merlin said as he brought her hand close to his mouth to kiss it. He spotted what looked like the mangled remains of half an ear, and immediately dropped it. Morgana laughed at his scrunched up expression. He decided it's best to wait until after they were in Camelot and she had taken a nice long bath, and then he could show her exactly how grateful he was in her favorite way.

"Let's go home. There is a prat who's waiting up for us, and you know how much he likes his sleep."

Merlin hummed and nodded against her shoulder. He felt her arms engulf him and take him away in a flash of golden eyes and ancient words. He hoped the rats got out too, and feasted on everything Cenred's kitchen had to offer.

**XXXXXXXXX**


	5. Magic

Hello lovely readers! So for the next three chapters I'm just gonna upload my old mergana one shots from my old account, so some of you might've read it before, and I'm sorry if you were expecting new stories! For those of you who haven't read them, hope you like! :D

**Prompt: Magic**

"Weather! Why don't we do something to the weather today?" Morgana clapped her hands excitedly as she stopped and turned around in the middle of the forest glade.

Merlin stood next to her with a questioning look on his face. "The weather? As in, what, you want me to make it rain or something?"

Morgana shook her head. "No, I want you to teach me how to make it rain. Notice how I said 'we' and not 'you'?"

"Um, milady, don't you think we should take it a bit slow? It's barely been two months since you've started to hone your skills; how about I teach you how to create a flower, or a butterfly, perhaps?" He nodded enthusiastically.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "Yes, I know it's only been two months, but Merlin, I can already freeze water falling from a bucket, command fire in my palms and even make a guard fall asleep with a flash of my eyes!"

Merlin raised his hand. "Wait, when did you learn the sleeping spell? We haven't gone over that yet."

"Yes, well I looked through your book that night you left it in my room - stayed up till dawn reading all the fascinating spells - and figured, why not try and see if I can do one on my own without your help? So I chose 'swefe nu' because it seemed easy enough, the hard part was finding a guard who wasn't already sleeping on duty. No wonder Camelot gets attacked by some magical monster or the other every week!"

Merlin stared at her for a moment and said nothing.

She stared back before finally saying, "What?"

He replied, "It's just, you've grown up your whole life with the hatred of magic ingrained in your mind, always taught that sorcery is evil in all forms, yet how quickly you've come to accept this part of you. I grew up in Ealdor where there was prejudice against magic, but not so much. Yet till the day I came to Camelot, I had so many doubts about my powers and even considered myself a monster at times. It wasn't until I met Gaius that I truly learned to embrace my magic."

She furrowed her brow and said, "Well, why shouldn't I? I didn't choose my powers, I was born with them. I haven't done any intentional harm using magic, so there's no reason for me to feel bad about it or myself. I didn't support Uther and his ways even before I learned I had magic. Yes my childhood was filled with prejudice, but I never let it into my heart."

"And after reading about healing spells, seeing you perform them with my very eyes and hearing about all the ways magic can be used for good, I am not ashamed in the least, Merlin. In fact, I am proud of my powers, proud that I have magic. I don't just feel different, I feel special," she finished with a flourish and he grinned at her.

"Well, we better get started then. Let's make it rain milady. No need to learn anything useful, just how to make clouds burst!"

Morgana snorted as Merlin stood beside her and took her hand. He no longer felt awkward touching her. She smiled as she recalled how rigid he went after she hugged him for the first time when he told her about his magic in Gaius' chambers; she was so terrified and felt so relieved at the same time after talking to Merlin. It was all a bit overwhelming for them both, but he certainly didn't expect her to throw herself into his arms. Remembering the awkward pats on her back and murmurs of 'it's okay' made her smile wider as she stared at her feet.

"Okay, now say it with me. Rinan wolcen feallan."

Morgana closed her eyes, inhaled and opened them, blazing gold as they uttered the spell in unison.

Heavy, grey clouds gathered overhead and suddenly the sky exploded into icy sheets of rain.

Merlin glanced at Morgana, her arms spread open and drenched to the bone with rain she had commanded from the sky. She looked so happy and proud he couldn't help laughing with her; her enthusiasm was infectious. As she spun around and pulled him into a tight, bone crushing hug, he realized this new bond between them, still so tentative and fragile, was deeper than any other, because it was a bond between the core of their beings, between their magic.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**


	6. Meet Me At The Lake

Quick update since ya'll are so sweet! ^_^

Cel140: Thank you bae! I would've paid to see scenes like that in Merlin tbh *wistfully daydreams with you :P*

sjritts: Same here! Would've loved to see them practice magic at least once! Good thing fanfic exists :P and the mergana fandom fulfills all those needs! :D

I luv Milarion 1201: Thank you hun! :D So happy you liked it!

Meri Ley: Thank you dear, very glad you enjoyed it! :D

Alkeni: Thanks! :D

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Summary: Merlin takes his fallen King to the Priestess of Avalon.  
**

Morgana's already standing at the lake when they arrive. He wonders if she's real or just a mirage, can't bring himself to believe he's seeing her after all this time.

She holds his gaze for a moment before diverting her attention to Arthur. She kneels on the ground by his body, gently removing the hair from his pale forehead. "Dear brother, you can rest now."

He sits down beside her. " I tried everything, did everything I could possibly do to keep him from his fate, but I failed."

Merlin looks devastated, but she doesn't comfort him like she once would've. She lets him mourn in silence as she looks at Arthur and tries to remember the sound of his laughter, but comes up empty. It was so long ago.

"We searched the five kingdoms for you. Traveled all over the lands, for years, until finally even Uther gave up hope of ever seeing you again." He doesn't know why he's telling her now, but somehow Merlin doesn't want her to think that they forgot about her, and simply let her go without ever trying to find her.

"I know." she replies.

Merlin hesitates, struggling to find the right words before saying, " I dreamt of you, so many nights. Constant nightmares and reminders of the last time we saw each other."

She keeps her eyes on the ground. " As did I. But mine were visions of your future, and sometimes snippets from our past."

He inhales deeply. " Morgana I'm so sorry, I never even got to tell you how much I regr-"

"Let's not dwell on the past Merlin." she cut him off before he could finish his overdue apology.

"Why didn't you ever come back?"

"Because both me and my sister decided to reevaluate our priorities after she removed the hemlock and healed me. We decided to rebuild Avalon, invite all those who were persecuted to the old home of magic, away from Camelot's prejudice. As you know well, some agreed and joined us, and some rebelled. Alvaar always was too stubborn for his own good, but Mordred's loss truly hurt me."

Merlin stiffens at the mention of the traitor's name. " That Mordred is the reason the King has fallen today." he spat out furiously.

She places her hand on top of his and wraps her cold fingers around his wrist in an attempt to calm him. "I know."

She wishes she could help him understand how all of them were both victims and criminals in the end. It took her years to let go of that anger, to fully comprehend their twisted fates. To realize it was not all black and white, not right to put all the blame on somebody else's shoulders to justify your own actions, after all, no one understood that better than her. But he was too consumed by his grief to listen to anything anymore.

Morgana points to the boat waiting for them, and slowly they lift Camelot's King and place him down. Before she could get in, Merlin gently tugs on her arm and turns her around.

"Come back." he says simply.

She immediately shakes her head. " I can't, I have to look after Arthur, I have a duty to him."

"No, the other priestesses in Avalon can do that. Me and Gwen need you more than Arthur now. You remember Gwen don't you? Your best friend you never even got to say goodbye to?"

Morgana sighs. Reminders of Gwen were always painful. " Merlin don't do this, I can't-"

" Yes you can. There's nothing to be afraid of, this is not Uther's Camelot anymore. It's Gwen's, and right now, more than ever, she needs us to rebuild the Kingdom and show her how magic is so much more than what she's seen most of her life. Isn't that what you wanted all along? Please, I can't do it alone."

She remains silent for a long time.

"Give me a chance to make it up to you. Please." He hadn't removed his hand on her arm, and the beseeching look in his eyes finally did it.

"Okay, I'll go with you. I'll go back to Camelot."

She didn't even realize how much she had missed seeing him smile so unabashedly until then.

He sits down on the bank of the lake, and waits for her to return from delivering Arthur to his resting place in Avalon.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**


	7. Meet Me At The Lake Part Two

**So that last chapter was meant to be just a one-shot, but my dear friend Celeste wanted a sequel so here I am!**

**I luv Milarion 1201: Thank you so much hun! Hope you like the next part!**

**Sjritts: Thank you! Here's what happens after the ending!**

**Whovain101: Thank you dear, I should've made it a multi chap I guess! Hope you like part too then!**

**Cel140: This one's especially for you bae, hope you enjoy! :D**

**Lady Flurryous: Thank you dear! Agree with everything you said! And here's their extended happy ending lol :P**

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

He takes her hand and helps her off the white mare. The courtyard is shrouded in mournful silence, and there is no one at the gates to welcome them. They weren't expecting it anyway.

When she steps inside the castle she grew up in, her throat becomes tight. She'd always thought she'd return, one day, but never under these circumstances.

As they walk through the halls, the guards barely lift their eyes to them. Morgana wonders if they even remember her, the long lost Lady of Camelot. Perhaps she was just another story of another failure to them now, no longer a real person.

They find Gwen sitting on Arthur's bed. A soft gasp falls from her lips when she sees them. She looks at Morgana like she's a ghost.

And then she's up in an instant and running across the room to embrace her old friend. The breath is knocked out of her lungs as Gwen holds onto her like she might disappear any moment. Then the tears come, and when she feels the Queen trembling in her arms with heavy sobs, she can't hold back her own sorrow anymore. She cries with Gwen, running her fingers through her long hair and murmuring softly in her ears. _It'll be okay, it'll be okay._

She feels Merlin tentatively place a hand on her shoulder, and turns to pull him close too. Together they mourn for the life they could've lived had destiny been kinder to them.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

It's not easy at first. So many questions and answers are exchanged, but every conversation seems haunted by the lack of his presence. _"Why didn't you help us?" _Gwen asks her.

"_It wasn't my fight." _she replies. Or maybe the correct answer was that there was too much at stake on both sides. Magic and family. She couldn't choose, but remaining neutral had cost her heavily. Gwen accepts her reason with a solemn nod.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Merlin helps her move into her old chambers. It's exactly how she left it. _"We didn't have the heart to throw anything away." _

Morgana smiles. Then she notices the fresh flowers on the vase by her bed and is surprised.

"_I used to bring flowers to your room, pretending you were still here to find comfort in them. A pathetic way to keep your memory alive." _He shrugs.

She doesn't know what to say in reply, so she places her hand over his and squeezes gently. He doesn't let go when she tries to remove it. Instead he brings it close to his lips and presses a gentle kiss on her soft skin. Closes his eyes as she places her palm on his cheek.

"_I can't here stay forever Merlin."_

He pretends he can't hear her. After all this time, still pretending.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

The days pass. Slowly they are healing, though sometimes it feels like they take one step forward only to jump three steps back. It's a painful gradual process for the Kingdom. For the Queen. For the Sorcerer. And for the Priestess of Avalon who was still staying in Camelot despite the calls of her fellow priestesses to return to her home.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

The afternoons are a bit brighter now. One day all three of them find themselves laughing over Princess Vivian and Arthur's shenanigans, and suddenly they realize. For the first time they don't feel guilty for being happy. Arthur wouldn't have condemned them to misery for the rest of their lives. They smile at each other, chests light with this new emotion.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

When Camelot finally accepts magic, they celebrate. Gwen looks on with a knowing smirk as Merlin and Morgana stare at each other in their drunken stupor. She was better at holding her liquor than her two magical friends.

Gwen wants to shake her head at all their hesitation, when it's obvious that the feeling has been mutual between them for so long now.

The warlock reaches out, catches a strand of her dark hair, and tugs her forward. Morgana yelps, and then starts laughing as he clumsily tries to tangle his fingers in her silky locks. They are leaning against one another, breathing heavily.

The sound of the door shutting makes them jump slightly. Gwen has left.

Merlin turns his gaze back at her. _"You're so lovely." _His slightly slurred speech causes her to giggle.

"_You're so lovely and I'm so sorry. I missed you so much. So much. And now you're back and I don't ever want to let you go."_

Morgana inhales deeply. He cups her face. _"Promise me you won't leave. I can't bear it a second time."_

She closes her eyes. Rests her head on his lap. Falls asleep without giving him any of the words he wanted to hear.

He strokes her neck with the back of his hand. Soon he too drifts off to a dreamless slumber.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Morgana wakes up in her bed, with no recollection of how she got there. The events of the previous night comes rushing back. She has to find him.

She gets up, stumbles a little, and sits back down again. After a while, with steady feet, she makes her way to his chambers. Her heart flutters with equal amounts of fear and excitement.

Merlin's sitting at his desk reading a scroll, wearing those glasses that make him look like a teacher. He glances up when she enters. Opens his mouth to say something but she puts a finger to his lips.

She kneels down beside him. Places her hands on his knees. _"I think we both know how we feel about one another. And after last night..." _she stops, unsure how to continue.

He can barely breathe. He reaches down to tip her chin up. _"Do you want this?"_ he asks as he kisses her cheek. She hums in reply.

Merlin smiles. Kisses her other cheek, her forehead, nose, throat until she whimpers impatiently and grabs the back of his head and pulls, causing him to fall off his chair and land on the floor next to her.

"_I'm going to stay right here love." _She presses her lips to his and feels the magic in her veins _**burn. **_Merlin wraps his arms around her and brings her flush against him, mouth moving desperately with hers. They kiss each others' pain away.

When Morgana finally lets go, his eyes are shining.

"_I promise."_ she whispers, before getting lost in him again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**That's it for now, but I actually enjoyed writing this AU verse a lot, so if you guys want I could write more one-shots from it, about their wedding, babies and whatever else :P **


	8. The Crystal Cave

Meri Ley: Will definitely make it a celtic one!

Whovian101: Thank you, I will definitely continue!

I luv Milarion 1201: Ooh I love all your ideas dear, I'll have to write fics for all of them :D Thanks for the review!

sjritts: Yay! Very happy it made you happy! :)

Lady Flurryous: Yeah they decided they had had enough waiting, and enough stalling, it was about time they got together! Thank you so much I'm so happy you liked it!

Cel140: AJBSKJAGWEKJB! Honestly your review made my day HUN! Working on the other parts right now!

**Okay guys so this chapter is pretty angsty and different from the happy/hopeful tone of the recent chapters, just letting ya'll know.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_All that power, with a worthless servant."_

Merlin whipped his head around hearing her voice. The staccato rhythm of his heartbeat was the only other sound in the dark cave.

"Face me Morgana, face me."

She stepped out from the shadows and Merlin involuntarily retreated backwards at the look on her face, twisted with rage. He found himself being hurled backwards before he could make a move, the sword flying out of his hand and landing by her feet.

He groaned as his head collided with the boulder behind him, pain shooting through his body. He had to blink a few times before his eyes registered Morgana towering above him, Excalibur in her right hand.

"And here I thought poisoning me was your biggest betrayal. What was it that you said that night?" she snarled, her voice breaking slightly. "I really wish there was something I could say?"

She suddenly bent forward and grabbed his face, and he could detect a hint of gold in her green eyes.

"You _wish _there was something you could say?"

Her nails dug into his chin as he stared at her, seeing nothing but a lost cause. Though he wasn't sure at this point which one of them was beyond remedy and redemption.

"There was too much at stake. I couldn't take the risk. I tried to help-"

Immediately he felt his windpipe being crushed and spots appeared in his vision for a moment, before he was able to breathe again.

"Don't even try to say you helped me. All you did was lie, betray and poison me, condemned me for being born with the same magic you possess! "

Merlin felt too weak to answer yet he rasped out, " I never hated you for possessing magic, how could I? I hated what you became, how you used your magic, and yes, I blame myself for it too. But you're not without fault yourself. You let this idea of revenge against Uther consume you, and lost sight of your true goal. You'll never know how much it hurt me to see you move away from all of us, and everyday I wanted to intervene, to do or say something, but I couldn't."

His words fell on deaf ears. Same old Merlin, or Emrys as she now knew, thinking of new ways to deceive her when faced with the threat of death. _We can find another way._

She scoffed at the memory. But then again, when was he ever truthful with her?

"Whether you believe it or not Morgana, I never wanted any of this, it could've all been so different..." he murmured as he continued, " I saw it right here, in these crystals, but I didn't believe them, it can still be fixed, there's still another way..."

His ramblings made her see red, how dare he say he can still fix this, any of this? " What the hell are you talking about?"

He looked deep into her cold eyes, and whispered, "We're in the Crystal Cave Morgana, surrounded by magic that shows us the future. So many realities. Look into them and see that we can still salvage this mess, still make it alright if you give it a chance, please."

The Priestess was fully aware of the fact that the moment she looked away, he might take advantage and try to gain the upper hand. Ignoring all the warning bells in her head, something compelled her to turn and gaze into the azure blue crystals all around them.

Her mind imploded as various images filled her mind in rapid succession..."**she was standing in Arthur's court waiting to be judged as Gwen stared at her with a mixture of anger, sorrow, and hope, her army had surrendered and they were all awaiting Arthur's decision regarding the ban, Merlin advising the King and the ban being lifted on specific terms and conditions, the magical community elated at being freed at last, Gwen and Merlin visiting her in her old chambers while Arthur kept his distance, Merlin helping her with her nightmares, her feelings for him slowly changing, Merlin pulling her into 'their' alcove and whispering words she thought she'd never hear him speak in her ears, she was wearing a billowing white gown and really wished Gorlois was here today to hold her hand..."**

Completely forgetting the warlock lying on the ground, Morgana moved forward, entranced by the visions, it felt so real, she was close enough to almost touch the crystals when suddenly she reeled back as new, darker images formed to replace the ones she was witnessing... **" a barrage of rocks hit the ground as she trapped Merlin in the cave, his screams of rage echoing off in the distance while she rode away to battle, Emrys escaping somehow and almost killing her with his powers, Mordred fulfilling his last duty and driving his sword through Arthur before he himself was stabbed too, Mordred dying and her heart being shattered completely, a vicious sense of satisfaction and fury engulfed her as she saw her brother wasting away beneath her feet, he would die at last and she would be there to see it, Merlin's voice comes from behind and she scoffs at his sword and his pathetic words of him blaming himself, doesn't he know she's a High Priestess and his ordinary weapon couldn't harm her? The sorcerer doesn't wait another moment and mercilessly drives the sword through her stomach..." **

Morgana gasps out loud with her vision counterpart, and suddenly the connection is broken, the crystals go blank, as the sorceress clutches her abdomen but finds no wound. _So real._

"Morgana," she spins around at the sound of Merlin's hoarse voice. He's lying there, like an obedient servant, hope evident in his eyes despite all the odds. Seeing him fills her with renewed rage. He was going to kill her! The first vision was just an unattainable foolish dream at this point, it could never happen, the second one was their future, their reality. There could be no other way, unless she ended him now before he had the chance.

She calmly walked towards him, picked up Excalibur once more, and bent down, " The crystals don't lie Emrys, and it was just like every other dream I've ever seen, fate has put us on different sides in every foreseeable future."

All the hope in his eyes dies instantly. Merlin deflates. He shakes his head and tries one last time.

"I didn't choose this fate, this destiny Morgana, just like you didn't choose your powers."

The word destiny caught her attention. Yes, her destiny and doom, that's what the Caileach had said wasn't it? Well, not if she could help it.

"The time for words are over Emrys. No more lies and deceit. Don't worry, I'll let Arthur know all about your proud accomplishments and how the very magic he despises so much has been residing in the heart of Camelot all along. I'm sure he'll be delighted to find out how his beloved servant has been fooling him all these years."

She leaned in, until her face was inches from his, and said, " You can die _happy._" And with one swift twist of her hand, the blade was embedded in his chest. He gasped and reached out to Morgana, clutching her shoulder as the pain consumed him, a parallel of what she had seen herself do in the vision in her last moments.

Her once bright green eyes seemed an icy grey now, devoid of any emotion. That was the last thing he saw, before the darkness pulled him under.

Morgana slowly pulled out the sword, and Merlin's body slumped on the ground. He looked so small and shriveled. There was a time when she would've felt some semblance of remorse at the pitiful sight before her, but not today. Today she only saw Emrys, the man who had haunted her day and night and thwarted her at every turn, and betrayed his own kin over and over again.

She squashed any lingering doubts about the first future she'd seen as she walked away from the Crystal Cave, because she couldn't afford to think about that anymore. She had a war to win.

Her friend, Merlin, the sweet servant who used to bring flowers for her when she was feeling unwell, died a long time ago. Just like the Lady Morgana, the strong, compassionate princess of Camelot, had died.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

**I hope nobody hates me for killing Merlin, but this was how I think it 'logically' should've happened in season 5. I mean WHY would Morgana just trap Emrys and leave him in a magical cave instead of killing him and getting rid of her doom? Also how she never even confronted him about not sharing his secret with her when she desperately needed his help? It really didn't make sense to me. But oh well Merlin rarely makes sense ~**

**Happier chapters after this I promise! :)**


	9. Adventures of Kilgarrah the Cat

So it appears almost all of you were saddened by the last chapter, except** AndreKL (thank you dear! :P) **Sorry about that, here's a much lighter AU than the last one!

Oh and **Meri Ley** he didn't use his powers since his magic was taken away in that episode remember?

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Prompt: "College AU: Person A's cat steals underwear and he comes home to find Person B chasing his cat to get their underwear back."**

Merlin hears the noises from the third floor as he makes his way up to his dorm room. He recognizes Kilgarrah's hiss immediately but he has no idea who the frustrated woman was. He runs up the last flight of stairs to see the new girl standing with her hand on her hips in front of his door, looking extremely annoyed. His gaze shifts over to his cat and he sees the red underwear in his mouth.

"Kilgarrah!" Merlin yells as he quickly walks over to them.

The girl turns around to face him. "Is this your cat? He snatched my clothes from my hand. What was he doing in the laundry room anyway?"

Even though she's pissed off, she still looks very pretty. He's staring at her with big eyes, and it takes a little time before her words registers in his head. "I'm so sorry, he has a terrible habit of stealing...underwear and hiding them in the most random places. He gets a kick out of it. I apologize, I'll make sure it never happens again."

Merlin crouches down and after struggling back and forth with Kilgarrah for a little time while the girl looks on with a slightly amused expression, he manages to remove the skimpy lingerie from his cat's teeth. His face is as as red as the underwear he hands back to her. She stuffs it into her jean's pocket, turns around and walks away.

He wonders if he should call after her and ask her name, but then thinks better of it. Instead he turns to Kilgarrah, picks him up and says in a reproachful tone, "You can't keep doing that Kilgarrah. Besides, how do you manage to get out of your cage every time?"

**XXXXXXXXX**

The second time Merlin is lying on his bed reading a book when he feels Kilgarrah pawing at his stomach. He puts the book aside and has barely pushed himself up on his elbows when something is thrown at his face. It was a pair of lacy, dark green panties.

"Oh Kilgarrah! Not again! Is it even the same girl this time?"

Kilgarrah only tilts his head in response. Merlin groans. "She's gonna file a complaint, and when they tell me to take you out of here, then you'll understand!"

He takes the panties and heads out of his room to see if there was an angry lady standing outside his door once more. He doesn't have to walk far because soon enough he sees the new girl marching in his direction. She sees her underwear in his hand and sighs.

Grabbing it from him she says, "You know, I have a cat too, but she doesn't go around stealing other people's undies for fun."

"I'm so-"

"Yes, sorry I know." she rolls her eyes at his mortified expression. "You don't have to look so terrified, I'm not going to bite your head off."

He looks even more sheepish now. "Oh it's just I was hoping you wouldn't complain if that's not too much to ask. I promise this is the last time."

She seems surprised. "No I wouldn't do that. Like I said, I have a cat too. I know how infuriating they can be sometimes, but I wouldn't want you to have yours taken away."

Merlin smiles with relief. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." she smiles back, and goes on her way.

**XXXXXXXXX**

The third time, only a week later, when Kilgarrah shows up with her purple push up bra, Merlin doesn't even bother to go and return it. Surely he'll be receiving a notice soon. And she'll probably come here and take her word back and you know what, he couldn't blame her. Kilgarrah never listens to anything he says, his cat would keep on doing this for the rest of the year.

But the day passes and she doesn't appear. And no complaints either. _'Tomorrow surely' _he thinks.

Yet it's the same tomorrow. So he decides that maybe it was time for him to get up and return her bra out of common courtesy instead of waiting for her to come retrieve it. He knows she lives on the third floor.

He goes down and knocks tentatively on her door. She opens up wearing a tank top and red polka dot pajamas. Her hair is a mess and there's smudged eyeliner around her green eyes, but when she laughs at him, she looks adorable. He was certainly not expecting this reaction.

"You took your sweet time." she says as she takes her bra from him. He tries not to think about how she's clearly not wearing one right now. _Oh god Merlin this is so not the time._

He opens his mouth to apologize, _again_, but she asks first, "So, do you have a name, or will I always just know you as the Underwear Cat Guy?"

Her smirk makes him loosen up a little. "It's Merlin."

She holds out her free hand. "Morgana, otherwise known as Underwear Cat Lady to you I'm sure."

He chuckles. "Yeah, pretty much." A little mewling sound makes him look down to see a white kitten with blue eyes circling around his feet.

"That's Aithusa, my one. It appears she likes you, since she never approaches strangers."

Merlin picks up the tiny animal and rubs behind her ears, making her purr loudly. "Well she's certainly as cute as her owner."

He realizes a second later he just said his thoughts aloud and bites his lip. Morgana giggles. "Thank you. Wish I could say the same about your cat."

They laugh together and he leaves a few minutes later with a stupid grin on his face.

**XXXXXXXXX**

After six months, when they've become friends and exchanged numbers and even taken a few classes together, Merlin finally plucks up the courage to ask her out. She whacks him on the head for taking so long, and then kisses him before he's done saying ouch.

A couple of weeks later, when in the morning he wakes up to find her sexy white bikini bottoms on his pillow, he smiles. At least this time he knows Kilgarrah had nothing to do with it. The events of last night comes rushing back. He hears her come out of the shower. Morgana flips her hair to spray water at him. He scrunches up his nose.

"I believe this is yours Miss Pendragon." he says holding up her underwear.

She walks over to give him a deep kiss, and he reciprocates wholeheartedly. She smells like fresh soap and strawberry shampoo.

"Keep it." she says as she untangles herself from him. "I'm sure Kilgarrah will have a blast finding some obscure place to hide it."

Morgana gives him a final kiss on the nose and quickly dresses and heads out. He sometimes still can't believe that they are actually dating.

Merlin's thoughts are rudely interrupted when he feels sharp teeth nipping at his hand. He looks down to see Kilgarrah tugging at the item he's holding. He pulls it away. His cat looks up with angry golden eyes but Merlin just shakes his head.

"No way are you getting this, nuh-uh. Sorry Kilgarrah. This one? Is all mine."

**XXXXXXXXX**

Happy, silly and fluffly, just like I promised! To make up for all the sad feels of the last chapter! ^_^


	10. Flowers For A Ghost

**So a flower shop AU was something I wanted to do for a while cause flowers have always been a part of mergana and one of the things I adored about them in canon. So here I am!**

**Special thanks to my beta ****MissFiyerabaMeponineWholock for all her help!  
**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_'Today is the day'_, he decides as he stands outside the flower shop.

Merlin saw her two weeks ago, in this small store, chatting animatedly with a young girl about how beautiful the new cherry blossoms were. She looked as lovely as ever in her long, sleeveless yellow dress. With her hair pushed to one side, he could see the several piercings on her right ear.

He thought he was hallucinating at first. It wasn't all that unusual. Some days only a flash of golden hair, or a shy laugh, was enough to convince him his friends were back. He saw them everywhere in everyone.

But upon blinking several times and failing to make her disappear, he realized that this time the person standing before him wasn't a figment of his overactive imagination; and when she had turned and caught his eye, he fled.

It took him another four days to pluck up the courage to go back again. By then he convinced himself that he was wrong and it was someone else and that was the only reason he was going back; though a nagging voice in the back of his mind said it was the complete opposite.

The second time he managed to hold her gaze for a few moments but when she raised that perfectly arched eyebrow with a cocky smile on her face, he bailed once more. He could hear her tinkling laughter as he rushed out the doors.

And now he's here again. _Third time's the charm, _he thinks as he takes a deep breath. The little purple wind chimes jingle as he opens the door.

It's closing time. The last customer hands her the money and walks away with his bouquet of red roses for his loved one probably. Once he's gone, Morgana looks up to meet his gaze.

It's eerily quiet. To him it feels like they're not even breathing, the dying ring of the wind chimes is the only sound in the room.

She breaks the silence first. "Are you finally going to buy something today? Or will you just stare intensely at me for a few seconds and then leave?"

Her tone is light and her posture relaxed. Merlin doesn't understand how she can be so calm. Does she not know who he is? He decides to play along.

"I'll take the lilies please." he says as he grabs the nearest bunch and walks up to the register.

They're too close now and her green eyes twinkle with secrets he wishes he were a part of.

"For a girlfriend or a wife?" she asks as she ties them up with a nice little bow. He's distracted by her profile.

"For a blind date." he answers truthfully.

She looks even more interested now. "Oh! Good luck then. I hope you meet your one true love tonight." He can't tell if she's mocking him.

"What's your name?"

She tilts her head. "Morgana." she replies boldly.

His heart skips a beat.

"Yours?" she questions as she hands him his flowers.

He takes them, fingers brushing hers ever so slightly. "Merlin."

Her smile never falters. "Well it was very nice to meet you Merlin."

"Likewise." he says in return. Flustered and confused, he leaves the shop with more questions than he came in with.

**XXXXXXXXX**

His date is going terribly and it's all his fault. The woman sitting across him is very nice and trying her best, like anyone would on a blind date; but for the life of him he can't concentrate on her. Another face keeps flashing before his eyes, and soon he decides to give up.

He feels really bad and apologizes profusely at the end of the evening, leaving her standing on the sidewalk with the lilies gripped tightly in her hands.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Merlin dreams of roses and thorns and vines strangling him that night. He wakes up drenched in sweat and rubs his eyes to wash away the horrific images. He hasn't had a nightmare in decades.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

He's back at the shop the next day. It's buzzing with people and she's very busy, occupied with one task or another. Merlin doesn't mind, he's content to roam around and smell all the beautiful flowers, occasionally looking up to steal glances at her.

When she finally has a minute he goes up to say hi. Morgana doesn't inquire about his date, but he tells her anyway.

She shakes her head. "It could've been worse. At least she got out alive."

Ignoring the jab, he points toward a peculiarly shaped white flower that almost resembled a bird. "What are those called?"

Before she can answer a co-worker calls her name and she's pulled away.

"Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you all you want to know and more!" she says over her shoulder.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

She teaches him all the different meanings and symbolism of the flowers. Tulips for gratitude, daisies for hope and resistance, laurels for victory and poppies for remembrance.

"I thought forget-me-nots would be for remembrance."

"Yes, but they also represent eternal love, and as the name suggests, the hope to be never forgotten and kept in one's memory for all your life. A bit too cliché for me. Whereas poppies are more..._think of me when I'm gone."_

He nods thoughtfully and watches her as she ties up her hair in a ponytail, revealing all six of her piercings.

She notices him looking and says, "One for each person who has ever betrayed me. A constant reminder to never trust so easily again."

In his head he does the counting but they don't quite add up. "You know you're pretty morbid for someone who's surrounded by so much warmth and beauty."

Morgana shrugs. "Appearances can be deceiving."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Everybody knows his name by now. He's become a regular visitor and her co-workers have even started teasing her about him. She brushes them off, but can't really come up with a reply when they ask her, _"So why do you spend every break hour sitting outside huddled together talking about God knows what with him?"_

Honestly, she doesn't know. The logical part of her brain tells her she should shut him out- like he did to her so long ago-instead of welcoming him back into her life.

But she can't deny that they're drawn to one another, like they always have been. They don't talk about the past, preferring to pretend it never happened. However she can't help dropping little nasty references here and there, which he always graciously ignores.

She hopes one day he'll take the bait though because sometimes just looking at him makes her want to explode with all the unsaid things between them. He wonders how she can be so calm, but in truth it's just a mask. Inside her rages a storm as tumultuous as his own.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"You brought me flowers? Gee how original." her voice drips with sarcasm.

Merlin tuts. "Not just any flowers, yellow daffodils."

She gets it. "Oh, daffodils. New beginnings."

"I thought you would appreciate the gesture."

Morgana says nothing as she takes the flowers and places them in an empty vase behind her. She does appreciate it, more than she would like to admit.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Late one night when everyone's gone and they're still sitting on the floor talking when they should've left hours ago, Merlin suddenly leans forward and kisses her. Her lips are softer than he had imagined and they open up readily without any resistance.

But when he moves back to look at her face, there's anger in her eyes.

"A little too soon?" he asks tentatively.

"A little too late." Morgana isn't angry he kissed her, she's angry he didn't do it a millennium ago when the time was right.

"Better late than never."

She can't argue with that.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Merlin wakes up with his arms wrapped around her. He presses his face against her neck and inhales. She smells like lavenders and freesias and gardenias and everything else he loves.

Her eyes flutter open when he begins to trail kisses down her spine.

"Good morning." he murmurs against her skin.

"Is it?"

He grins. "_Oh_, don't be like that."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

She's gone. The other florists tell him she quit this morning, said goodbye and left. No number to call, no address they can provide him with. No mark she left behind.

Except he can still feel her head on his chest. He wants to laugh and cry at the same time. How did he not see this coming?

Of course Morgana would run. Just when he thought that perhaps they were ready to move on, together, she proves to him that she can't. Nothing forgotten, nothing forgiven.

Merlin walks around the city the whole day, he can't go back to his apartment now. Back to the emptiness, to her hair on his pillows, to that stupid smell of flowers suffocating him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

He stumbles in during the wee hours of the morning. Bone tired and with a terrible headache, all he wants to do is climb into bed and forget everything. When he flips on the lights though, he sees that it would not be so easy.

There's a small cluster of poppies sitting on his mattress. The contrast between the red and the white is quite stunning.

He picks them up and reads the tiny note attached. Two words. In her lovely cursive handwriting.

_For Remembrance._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Sooo, left it on a hopeful note! They might meet again and this time he won't let her slip away, the flowers show it meant something to her as well. I just thought modern Morgana wouldn't get over everything so easily, and once he got too close, she ran to sort out her mind. Might seem a little vengeful to give hope and take it away, but she did it more for herself than him. Will write a sequel maybe!  
**

**But yeah lemme know your thoughts! **


	11. Flowers For A Ghost Part Two

_**~ But if stars shouldn't shine  
By the very first time,**_

_**Then dear it's fine...**_

"So fiiine, byyyy, meee." he sings along and she almost falls off the park bench.

Morgana whips around and sees him standing there with an infuriating smile on his face.

"I didn't know you could sing."

"There's so many things you still don't know about me."

_Maybe I'd like to keep it that way,_ she thinks; but instead of voicing her thoughts, Morgana asks, "How did you find me?" The answer is pretty obvious.

But he still does a little demonstration for her. Pulling his palm out of his jeans pocket, he creates a sparkling rose snowflake and makes it fly around on a hot July night. Eventually it falls by her feet and melts into the soft grass.

She smirks. "So what, now you can sing _and_ you're Elsa too?"

"Would you like to hear my rendition of 'Let It Go'?" he begins earnestly, but she stops him with one _'please, spare me' _look.

He puts his hands up in surrender and then moves to sit beside her on the large bench, making sure to keep some distance between them lest she runs away once more like a startled deer.

But Morgana doesn't mind. She taps on her screen to lower the volume, and then turns to face him. "I thought you'd be angry."

"Initially I was. Mostly at myself."

"At yourself? For?" She's not used to him owning up to his mistakes. _Well except for that one time near the very end, but she prefers not to dwell on that._

"For being stupid enough to think we'd actually have a chance after all that happened between us."

"Yet here you are." She looks up at the pitch black, starless sky. "Ever the optimist."

"It's a disease." he informs her wryly.

"Then I sincerely hope it's not contagious." she says as she turns the music up, not in the mood for talking anymore.

They sit and listen to Morgana's favorite obscure bands. Merlin hums along to songs he's never heard before. She tries to tune him out, but it's not working. Not when it feels like there's an anvil sitting on her chest that can only be removed by him.

"For as long as I can remember, I've always known about my past. Being born with these memories is not pleasant. Neither is having sudden, violent flashbacks in the middle of World Literature class or a high school dance. And then there's the mark you gave me. They thought it was a birthmark, as if that isn't the most foolish thing I've heard in my life." She rolls her eyes. "But, then again, what other explanation could you conjure up for a newborn having a perfect jagged line placed conveniently down her stomach? God's art, my parents used to say. "

It's dark, and he really shouldn't be able to see it, but he does, astonishingly clear. When she pulls up her t-shirt and shows him the nasty scar on her abdomen.

His confusion is apparent, so she explains. "I covered it up the night we were together, after twenty five years I've become quite the expert at hiding the ugly parts of my previous life. Both internal and external."

"I'm sorry." He doesn't know what else to say.

Morgana goes on like she didn't hear him. "It served as a nice little reminder; every time I saw it, I was taken back to our last encounter. Some days I would spend hours sitting in front of the mirror staring at it, tracing my fingers over the puckered skin, imagining how much I would love to give you a similar wound, or something far worse, if I ever got the chance."

She looks back at him. "Clearly things didn't go as planned. When I first saw you at my shop, I felt your power immediately. I knew there was no way I could physically harm you, especially when I had no magic of my own. But then I thought: so what? Why not hit him where it'll hurt more?" She reaches over and gently taps his heart.

"It was far too easy; I was surprised by how readily you went along with my little game of not pretending to know one another. I didn't get it at first, but slowly I understood. The poor, centuries' old warlock was starved for company. Even if that company was no one other than the _witch _who destroyed everything."

Her mocking tone falls away with the last part. "Sadly, it turns out the witch heavily underestimated how much the warlock meant to her."

Morgana stares at her palm, still resting on his chest, and he puts his hand over hers. "Is that why you ran away? Because you cared too much instead of too little? And here I thought it was the latter."

She entwines their fingers together. "I wish."

Merlin pulls her closer and wraps his arms around her. She shrivels under his touch, feeling small and stupid and... safe.

Her lips part in a soft gasp when she feels his free hand slide under her clothes and press down on her scar. An icy sensation takes over and it's like she's burning up and cooling down at the same time. She looks down. It's gone. He's erased that piece of their past she's been carrying for so long.

"If only healing our inner scars were as simple. Truth be told, I don't know how to fix the colossal mess that we are, but I know that I'm willing to try because it's been months and I've tried my hardest to let you go, but the problem is that I can't. Morgana, I can't give up on us. I want to use this second chance."

His unspoken question of _"Do you?"_ hangs in the air between them.

There's so many reasons for her to say no and turn away; but she crosses them off one by one in her head until she reaches the one reason for her to say yes.

She doesn't answer so much in words, but simply pulls him down in a searing kiss, pouring all her old sorrow and hope for new joy in it. He does the same.

Flowers bloom on the tree above them and a thousand twinkling stars suddenly light up the obsidian sky.

Morgana looks around in wonder once they break apart. All she's ever known was the dark side of Emrys' power, this was her first time witnessing the beauty of Merlin's magic.

"And it's all for you." he says as he holds her against his chest. "It'll only ever be for you."

_**~ Cause we can give it time, so much time, with me. ~**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Here's the happy ending! **

**Hope ya'll liked it! And if you want you can check out the song, my entire inspiration for the second part came from it tbh, it's such a perfect mergana reincarnation song for me! **

**(Stars by The XX)**


	12. Now or Never

"Merlin I swear to whatever higher power you believe in, if you give up now and let us die, my ghost will haunt your ghost for the rest of eternity."

Morgana cursed as she grabbed his hand and zigzagged through the swarm of bodies obstructing their path.

They ducked behind an abandoned barn for cover but they both knew they were running out of time, they could only hide for so long. The enemy relentlessly tore through every magical barrier, the red capes coming closer with every breath. The odds were in Arthur's favor and Merlin's shoulders sagged as he mentally began to prepare for the defeat.

Morgana was not ready to give up so easily. Her face was red with anticipation as she pressed her thumbs down deeper and got ready to blast them all into oblivion with her magic. But in a war zone like that, timing was everything and she was just a second too late.

Before her spell could leave her lips, the arrows rained down on them from every side and her last thought as the blood seeped out of her onto the forest floor was that Arthur would never let her live this down.

Her younger brother laughed as she let out a stream of expletives that would make a sailor flush with embarrassment. Morgana angrily tossed away the video game console and barked at him to shut up. She really was a sore loser, especially when bested at her own game by characters she had considered inferior.

"What was that you said before? There's no way Camelot's army could defeat two magical wizards? Well looks like magic can't save you after all huh?"

"Oh please. It's only cause butterfingers here can't switch between the X and Y buttons and kept taking the wrong turns."

She turned her death glare on Merlin and he raised his hands. "I know I know. I take the full blame. We'll get em next time Gana, I promise."

"Haha I don't think so." Arthur chimed in. "Gwen just texted me she's coming over in five minutes, so it'll be us two pros against you and Mr. I can't even hold the console properly, there's no way you can beat us sis."

Morgana sighed and fished out her phone from her pocket. "I need to call reinforcements." She pushed Merlin off the sofa as she dialed Gwaine's number. He told her he'd get there as soon as possible.

"Sorry love but you have to sit this one out, I need that rugged bastard to help me win this round."

Merlin kissed her cheek and said, "Gladly. I'm more than happy to cheer you on from the sidelines as you wipe out Camelot's forces with your awesome magical powers."

Arthur snorted. "Wanna bet on it? Loser does the laundry for the next three months."

"Oh it's on dear brother. You're going down."

**XXXXXXXX**

**silly drabble I wrote on the bus from home, hope you liked and hope everyone had a great christmas and holidays are going well :D**


	13. Her Eyes Were Green

This is the result of a prompt from one of my tumblr friends about writing a modern mergana AU with not-morgana. Aka doppelganger AU instead of reincarnation AU. Thought I'd give it a try ~

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

_He knew the moment he saw her blue eyes._

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

The librarian kept glancing her way every few minutes and she could tell he was trying to be subtle about it but failing miserably. Emily wasn't bothered, she was used to random fawning admirers who would ask for her number at Starbucks or chat her up at subway stations. She expected this one would do the same once she went to the checkout desk.

But he did nothing of the sort. Instead he barely made any eye contact when he said hi and then proceeded to check out her books without another word.

He was cute in a nerdy kind of way. Black rimmed glasses, short dark hair and skin as pale as her own. She smiled and thanked him but he had already moved on to the next person in line, conversing easily, his demeanor more relaxed and cheerful.

_Huh._ Emily thought as she turned around and headed outside. _Totally read that one wrong._

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Merlin was having a hard time keeping a straight face and acting as though everything was okay when all he wanted to do was run down the street and chase after whoever that was.

Shock came first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then utter confusion as he wiped his glasses and stole another glance. Finally he settled on the easiest emotion, the one that seemed to be the default when it came to her. Anger flared in the pit of his stomach at the sight of Morgana happily strolling around the library, not a care in the world. This woman who had ruined everything, who had caused so much pain and sorrow, what right did she have to return to a life of peace while everyone else remained under the ground?

But then she came close and he noticed her eyes. They were a deep ocean blue instead of the icy jade green. And somehow, he just knew, this was not Morgana. It didn't mean he was any less unnerved by the woman in front of him, it only served to cool the hostility rolling off of him in waves.

She left and he breathed a little easier, not fully sure what he was going to do about the situation. Should he leave right now and create another new identity, far away from this ghost from his past? Or should he stay and wait for her to come back again, find out what really was going on and how this person could even exist?

In the end it wasn't all that hard to choose.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

He waited two whole months before he initiated conversation.

"So do you always read murder mysteries or is there any other genre you're interested in?"

Evidently this girl was not as adept as Morgana at hiding her emotions since surprise was written all over her face.

"You're talking to me?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No. I was actually kinda waiting for it." she admitted sheepishly. Emily hoped he hadn't noticed how her visits to the library were conveniently timed to match his hours.

"You could've said something. Why does it always have to be the guy to make the first move?"

"I don't think it always has to be the guy. It's just, I didn't know what to say."

He smiled at her for the first time. "How about starting with your name?"

"Emily." she smiled back.

_Emily. What a simple, common name. Nothing as lovely as Morgana._

He shook his head at the thoughts. Where the hell had that come from? Emily was staring at him now, waiting for him to reply.

"Merlin."

She extended her hand. "Nice to finally talk to you, Merlin."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Pretty soon they both began looking forward to their five minute chat every time she stopped by the library. She began visiting more frequently, returning books before she was done reading them because she couldn't wait to recommend this new show that she was sure he'd like or to get his opinion on the latest reboot of the Jurrasic Park franchise.

They mostly talked about pop culture, a little bit about their respective jobs, nothing too personal at the beginning.

But then five minutes turned into an hour, the library was replaced with a coffee shop, phone numbers were exchanged and she became someone he could call a friend.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Some days they seemed so similar, others when they couldn't be more different.

Like Morgana she was kind and charitable, a social activist and believer in equality and justice.

Unlike Morgana, she adored her father. He learned that she was an only child with divorced parents, close to her father and hated her mother. _She drives me crazy, is a total hypocrite and acts as though we're all wrong and she has no flaws. I don't know how Dad put up with her all those years. _

The only interaction Emily had with her now was the yearly birthday phone call or email.

He wondered what Morgana's mother had been like. So many questions he'd never got to ask her.

All Emily found out about him was that he was an orphan.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

"I read an article once about how at any given point in time, there are 7 people on this earth who look exactly like you." he said one day as they stood in front of a street painting of Siamese twins. "What do you make of that?"

She snorted. "I think that's complete bull."

"Yeah." he agreed slowly. "Absolute nonsense."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

She introduced him to her friends.

He introduced her to his dog.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Her phone beeped with a new text from Mel.

_You can't shut up about him and clearly he likes you too. So why aren't you two dating yet?_

She sighed.

_Because there's something about him that I can't put my finger on. I'm an open book and he's distant in a way I can't even explain._

_Maybe a kiss will get him to open up more if you know what I mean ;P_

_Why is your mind always in the gutter?_

_Hey, I meant open up emotionally. You're the one with dirty thoughts ^_^_

_Whatever -_-_

_Just ask him out, maybe the poor bloke is too shy._

Emily chewed on her bottom and thought long and hard. Then texted back:

_If this blows up in my face, I'll know who to blame._

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

"I told you." she grinned. "I don't believe men always have to take the first step. So here I am. And it's about time don't you think?"

No, he didn't think that. He didn't know what to think. He'd kept her at arms length because he couldn't figure out what he felt about her. This girl with the face of a woman he had loved and hated and desired and rejected all at once.

Some days he could almost forgot, when they would sit on her sofa and watch a rom-com together, laughing until their sides ached at the sheer absurdity of the plot.

Emily would scrunch up her nose in distaste. _They always fall in love so quickly! You'd think they would have to get to know one another before declaring to be eternally devoted and madly crazy about each other. I mean, who even believes in love at first sight these days?_

His thoughts would drift to the first time he saw Morgana. Standing in that doorway with his mouth hanging open while she obliviously chatted on about Arthur and the feast. He'd smile despite himself.

_I believe in lust at first sight._

Her cheeks would turn pink and she'd mutter something before turning her attention back to the movie.

He cherished those few moments of bliss when he would forget the bad parts and allow himself to remember and be happy about the good ones.

When they were simply two people quietly whispering in the library, bodies leaning forward and heads bent together, nothing extraordinary about them.

But he was not ordinary and she did not deserve to caught up in his mess of a life. She was too nice, and he didn't want to ruin someone like her again. The first time was painful enough.

So he shook his head and said no. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

It hurt to see Emily's smile fall away. She took a step back, her face red with embarrassment.

"Sorry." she whispered before practically running out the revolving doors of the library.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

They remained friends, even though he'd been quite sure she had cut him out of her life after that first week of silence.

She came back to the library, looking much better and resumed talking to him without any allusion to what had taken place the last time she'd been there.

He took the hint and did the same.

Soon the awkwardness chipped away and they were back to their old routine.

_It's for the best._ Merlin told himself as they both pretended not to notice the quiet, mutual longing in every gesture.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

She met someone else.

A ginger called Tom. _Another horribly overused name. _He thought._ Emily was much better._

When she asked his opinion all he did was shrug and said he only wanted the best for her. If she felt happy with this Tom, then he was happy too.

She tried not to look too disappointed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was the night before her wedding.

A year and a half had passed and somehow they were here. Somehow he had managed to stay quiet through it all but now that there was less than 24 hours before she would become another man's wife, he suddenly couldn't hold back anymore.

He knocked on her door loudly and she opened it with sleepy eyes. For a moment he just stood there awkwardly and wondered how to even begin but the look on her face told him she already understood. And she wasn't happy about it.

"Why now Merlin? When it's far too late?"

"Because you don't love him. And I think that's the only reason people should get married, for love."

She leaned her head wearily against the doorway. "Tell that to the millions of people worldwide who are getting married for everything other than love. We can't all be idealist librarians who live in a bubble. Besides, he loves me. And who better? You?" she said in that same spiteful tone he'd heard centuries ago.

He swallowed hard, not knowing what else to say.

Emily sighed. "And even now, when you're standing here asking me to stop moving forward with my life, even now I can sense your hesitation. I can see how you'll never give me a chance. Something is holding you back and you won't tell me so you know what Merlin? Just go home. I stopped waiting for you a long time ago."

The door shut in his face. And the words he wanted to say so badly died in his throat, just like before.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

She looked radiant.

In her strapless white gown, with flowers in her hair and a long shimmering veil, she took his breath away.

He wasn't supposed to be there. She hadn't said anything but after their last "talk", he knew she wouldn't appreciate seeing him standing and clapping along with the rest of her friends and family as her new husband carried her out of the chapel.

But Merlin couldn't help himself. It had been worth it just to catch a glimpse of her that day.

Their eyes met briefly and he gave her a small smile. She was gracious enough to return it before being swept away by one of her bridesmaids.

He drove home and began packing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

There was loud, insistent knocking on his door.

It had been 6 months since he left the city where he met Emily and Merlin could count on one hand how many people had visited his apartment since then.

He didn't know what he was expecting when he looked through the peephole but a second later he was turning the handle as fast as he could.

She was a mess. Dressed in a tattered black t-shirt and baggy jeans, with wild, unkempt hair falling in tangles over her pale face.

Hardly daring to breathe, he tentatively reached out and moved the ebony locks away from her forehead. She looked up at him and they both sighed in relief.

Her eyes were green.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sorry, I can't ever leave my precious Morgana out of any story I write :P**

**Usually I write Merlin as being more remorseful when he sees Morgana in the 21****st**** century, because you'd think after over 1000 years of feeling guilty about all the things he did, he would be overjoyed at the prospect of being given a chance to rectify one of, if not the biggest, screw-up of his life. But for this one I thought I'd write him like his season 5 canon character, who went around being all mopey, broody and angry at anyone and everyone, and have him not have such a positive reaction once he sees Morgana or her doppelganger basically. Wasn't easy since I'm sure most of you know I'm not what you would call pro-Merlin at all, but I wanted to kinda make him work out all his issues with Ms. Doppelganger so that when the actual Morgana (inevitably) comes back into his life, he'll treat her the way he should've the first time around.**

**Anywho sorry for the ranting, hope you liked my take on the prompt and if you did lemme know your thoughts! **


	14. The Black Witch

"Ssshhhhh! Walk softly Igraine, we don't want the guards to come running after us now do we?"

Maya chastised her younger sister before resuming her walk up the spiral staircase, footfall as silent as the deer Igraine had once spotted while playing in the woods.

It was an hour past midnight and every little sound made her heart flutter, but she still kept following her sibling through corridor after lowly lit corridor till they finally reached their destination.

A thick layer of dust and grime covered the wooden doors of the perpetually locked chambers. Iron chains held the clasp securely in place and every window around the room had been barred with steel.

Maya shook her head in a 'tsk tsk' motion. "All this security and for what? As if anyone would be foolish enough to try and enter after hearing the _stories_."

"What stories?" Igraine asked, even though she knew the answer.

The heir to the throne smiled as she whispered, "The stories of the _Black Witch_."

Those two words sent shivers down her spine and Igraine scooted closer to her sister. "How can you be so sure they're true? Nobody's ever seen her!"

"But they can hear her. She's been haunting these halls ever since her death." Maya's brown eyes glittered with fascination. "The servants say that in the dead of the night, when only a handful of lonely souls are wandering around, you can hear her chanting her spells. Shining light escapes beneath these heavy doors even though a candle hasn't burned inside her chambers for over a decade."

"How?" Igraine was equal parts mesmerized and terrified.

"Like this." Maya closed her eyes, brought her palm to her lips and whispered, "Forbearne." When she opened them and a fire wasn't glowing in her hand, she sighed half in disappointment, half in relief.

"All they had to do was say words in an ancient language and objects would fly, flowers would bloom, soldiers would fall and creatures from the earth would rise. _Magic, _beautiful, dangerous, and deadly all at once."

"Is that why Father had it banned?"

"Oh it had been banned long before Father could say the word "evil". It was outlawed the the day after he was born as it was believed that magic caused our grandmother to die in childbirth. After that there was a war where Camelot prevailed, and the remaining magical creatures were forced to go into hiding. This is why it was such a big shock when the King's ward herself turned out to be a witch!"

Maya took a pause, the next part of the story always left a bad taste in her mouth and she was troubled by many parts of it.

After a while she continued. "Some say she wasn't only the King's ward. Apparently she was…she was actually the King's illegitimate daughter and Father's half-sister. But I refuse to believe that since I can't ever picture Father burning his own sister alive." she said fiercely, as if the rougher her tone the more truth there would be to her words.

Igraine gasped. "He burned her? Surely they could've found a cure for the King's ward."

She also refused to believe the Black Witch could've been her aunt. She looked at Maya and could never imagine wishing any harm on her, couldn't even imagine her life without Maya in it, no matter if she suddenly possessed magical powers one day. She would stick by her side through it all, as she knew her sister would do the same.

Maya shook her sadly. "Don't you get it Igraine? There is no cure. Being born with magic is like being born with two eyes, one nose and two ears. You can't tear it away permanently, maybe for a while, but not forever. Otherwise do you think Father would still burn those stray magic users in the pyre like he did yesterday?"

Both Pendragon children had become desensitized to the executions and hangings, but the burnings still made them turn away sometimes. Only magic users were burned, the harshest death reserved for those freaks of nature.

"What was her name?"

"Morgana."

As soon as the word left her lips a strong gust of wind rattled the windows and Igraine jumped closer to her big sister. Maya wrapped her up in her arms.

"They say she was the most beautiful woman in all of the Five Kingdoms. Bewitching green eyes, flowing black hair and winter white skin. She would turn every head in any room that she entered. But the long, tiresome war left her severely damaged, and she was but a shell of the vivacious woman she used to be. By the end she was almost unrecognizable."

Maya lowered her voice as she said, "Maybe that's what made it so easy for Camelot to slaughter her own daughter. They couldn't even tell it was her."

Igraine gently squeezed her sister's hand and Maya gave her a sad smile. "I can't really understand why her story fills me with such melancholy every time. After all, the laws of the land are there for a reason and they have to be obeyed. Perhaps it's the tragic love story that gets to me."

"Love story?"

"Oh well not exactly a love story. More like a story that could've happened had the circumstances surrounding the two people not been so cruel."

"She had a lover?"

"No, not a lover. Just someone who used to love her. But he couldn't love her enough to save her. The servants say that the days leading up to her execution he would visit her cell everyday. She wouldn't even acknowledge his presence but he would sit by the bars for hours on end. Pleading, begging, doing anything to persuade her to renounce the Old Ways and at least try to act like she would do her best to give up magic. Even though it wasn't possible, but he implored her to lie for the sake of her life. He knew Father had a soft spot for her despite all that had happened, and would even be willing to pass a milder sentence not involving death had she shown remorse. But Lady Morgana was as prideful as she was beautiful. She would never bow down before those who sought to wipe out magic. She'd rather die a rebel than live the life of a bird in a gilded cage. The life the one who loved her had been living for years."

"If he loved her so much why couldn't he save her?"

"Because he also loved the King. And the Queen. And Camelot. The Black Witch could've given up his secret easily but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Instead she chose to suffer in silence, not even deeming him worthy enough to shout at. He wanted her to rage and yell and curse him for all the times he'd wronged her, but she wouldn't even spare him a glance. She was smart, perhaps she knew this punishment was just as much his as it was hers. When the flames touched her skin a ragged scream echoed through the halls of Camelot and every window shattered to pieces. People thought it was her doing but she calmly let the fire consume her, content with the fact that this anguish would stay with him till his last day. Her memories, her thoughts, her presence would always be a part of him. Would always be a part of Camelot." said Maya as she placed her hand on the chains that kept Lady Morgana's chambers locked away from the rest of them.

Igraine did the same, and sighed. "I wish I could hear her spells." she said as she leaned her head against the door. They both held their breaths and listened hard for a moment, but the only sound that could be heard was the distant whine of the wind roaring outside.

"I thought you would be scared that the ghost of a witch haunts these chambers."

"Initially I was, but it's more tragic than scary Maya."

Her sister agreed. "It is. Grief coiled like rope around her lover's heart and he was never the same again. Sure he was loyal to a fault and served the King and fulfilled his duty. But he never gave his heart to another."

"Who was he?" Igraine asked, despite having already put together the pieces of the puzzle.

Maya opened her mouth to answer but the sound of soft footsteps made them both freeze.

"It's quite late princesses." Uncle Merlin emerged from the shadowy corridor holding a lantern. "You should be in bed by now." he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The girls exhaled and exchanged a look. Without a word they stood up and followed their Father's most trusted advisor to their rooms.

Igraine looked back at Lady Morgana's chambers as they turned the corner, and then quickly sped up to catch Uncle Merlin's hand.

"Is it true?" she asked fervently. "Is it true that the Black Witch haunts these halls?"

All three stopped walking as Uncle Merlin set down the lantern and sat on the floor so he was at eye level with Igraine and Maya.

He gave them that same weary smile and shook his head. "No my princess, the only one the Black Witch haunts is me." he said as he felt the ghost of her breath warm his neck.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**So, as I'm sure ya'll can guess, basically this is a depressing season 5 AU where Morgana is captured and executed (Merlin had feelings for her and it was mostly one sided) and Merlin never reveals his secret (judging by the way his character was portrayed all through s5 I don't think it would be far-fetched to assume he ends up staying quiet and fighting against magic by King Arthur's side as his advisor) Maya and Igraine are Arthur and Gwen's kids and in my little headcanon Maya grows up and falls in love with a magical peasant/outcast and magic is eventually restored after the crazy older generation dies. And all the while aunt Morgana looks down at her proudly from Avalon :D**

**whether the halls are actually haunted or if it's all in Merlin's head is up for you to decide, lemme know your thoughts! **


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